“I’ll be honest…” Phovos sighed as she unlocked the door and led everyone inside. “I don’t think our little plan is working…”
“Of course it’s not working…” Kayen also sighed. “He could be literally anywhere.”
“We can’t even be sure whether he’s not on this planet or not…” Kohra sighed as well. “He could have moved back and forth as we searched.”
“DOESN’T MATTER!” Timik shouted as he pushed past everyone and threw multiple bags on the table. “WE GOT BBQ RIBS!”
Kohra glanced at Timik and tutted. “Can you not sense the sombre mood right now? Is it really time for-”
“RIBS!” Timik continued to shout. “Raptor, where do you keep the plates?”
Phovos glanced at Timik as well. “Bottom left-claw cupboard. Do me a favour and don’t get the nice plates out.”
Timik pouted. “But… ribs…”
“Not on the nice plates!” Phovos repeated herself. “It’s bone porcelain! It’s delicate and you will almost certainly chip it!”
The hulking Temthan pouted some more, then pulled out four bowls from the cupboard. He then proceeded to rip open the bags and pour ribs and sauce into each bowl. “Whatever. You should all eat. Especially you, skinny Skyan.”
Kayen didn’t say anything and just accepted the bowl of food. Chunks of meat on the bone weren’t exactly his thing, but he was hungry, after all.
“Seriously though!” Kohra exclaimed as he stared intently at the bowl Timik handed him. “How ARE we going to find Arkadin? Surely we have to do this in some timely manner?”
“I’m not spending the rest of my life looking for him!” Timik added between chews and gulps. “Fuck him. He’s a pussy. Weakass coward.”
Kayen couldn’t help but nod in agreement. He didn’t like how Timik had phrased his words, but really, the Thantophor’s disappearance just seemed… pathetic.
“Maybe we’re just… looking in the wrong places?” Phovos suggested.
“Like where?” Kayen snapped. “He could be literally anywhere! We’ve gone through all the places where a weakened Arkadin would hide and he wasn’t there!”
Everyone fell silent as they ate their food. Well, everyone except for Kohra, as he wasn’t sure how to tackle the ribs without getting filthy the way Phovos and Timik were.
“What if we’re looking in the wrong places?” Phovos asked. “We’re looking where-”
“We just went through this!” Kayen snapped again. “He could be anywhere. This universe is fucking huge, if you hadn’t noticed, and we have barely covered one damn city!”
Phovos grunted. “Maybe you should let me finish.”
Kayen sighed, then apologised. “Sorry, but this is all dumb.”
“It is. But we haven’t looked where Arkadin would be strongest. In the few places that worship him.”
“Like where?” Kohra asked. “I thought only Banikans worshipped him.”
Kayen took a deep breath. “The… The Threavok used to worship him. Built great big temples in his honour. The Skyavok don’t do that any more.”
“Are the temples still there?” Kohra asked.
“Most of them were destroyed but there’s one that’s been preserved and is protected. The Klykozis Temple, I think it’s called… I just remember that it was a big place out on the edge of the Void Regions…” Kayen explained, before sighing yet again. “I suppose you all want to go there now.”
Phovos put her bowl down and licked her fingers. “Well, not right now. I’m still hungry.”